The Lexus Brand Feeder
Lexus is currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of its compact IS sedan arriving in the United States. The Japanese brand will honor the occasion with a cross-country tour that stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Miami, where owners can grab free swag.
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The IS itself is now 28 years old, having been released in 1998 for the Japanese market as the Toyota Altezza, and the current third-generation model has been on sale for 13 years, now with its third facelift for the 2026 model year. Lexus says it keeps updating the IS because it acts as the pathway into the brand.
“The IS is what we call the brand feeder. When someone first moves into luxury, or Lexus in particular, this is usually the vehicle they come to,” says Richard Hollingsworth, Senior Analyst with the Lexus Product Marketing Team. “They have a new life stage, a new job, or just want to show the world ‘I’ve made it.'”
First Time Luxury Buyers
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Hollingsworth says many IS buyers are new to the luxury space, coming from mainstream automakers, including Lexus’ parent company, Toyota. “‘I’ve enjoyed my Camry or Corolla, but I want to move up.’ The IS is usually that first vehicle. We have something to introduce them to the brand, so having it in our family is quite important,” Hollingsworth explains. Many IS buyers also move up from vehicles such as the Honda Accord and Civic, and small SUVs.
The IS also drives new customers to the Lexus brand, including people who are younger and multicultural. “37% of buyers that come into the brand for the IS are multicultural,” he added. “It’s one of the youngest buyers in the segment at 45 years old. Not just for the brand, but for the luxury sports sedan.”
Keeping The IS Modern
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With one of the youngest buyers in the Lexus lineup (tied with the GX and TX), keeping a vehicle that has now been on sale for years feeling up-to-date is an interesting challenge. The third-generation IS has now gone through three major facelifts, and here are the important changes for 2026:
- New front and rear bumpers with updated Lexus badging
- Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 standard
- New 12.3-inch touchscreen standard
- Two trim levels: F Sport Design and F Sport
- Available Special Appearance Package
- New trims, air vents, Active Sound Control, and cabin materials
“Hearing back from dealers and loyalists, if we’re going to have this vehicle for the foreseeable future, we need to modernize it. We added the wireless charger, updated the center console, but buttons are still there,” Hollingsworth points out, referencing the redesigned HVAC controls. “That’s still very important to us even though we can do a lot in our screens.”
Hollingsworth also mentions the new Forged Bamboo trim on the center console, which replaces the outgoing piano black surfaces. “It’s made of resin, so a continuation of the sustainable messaging,” he says. “Every IS, regardless of grade, will have that Forged Bamboo to give an elevation of luxury and the cabin itself.”
Lastly, and it’s only a small detail, but Hollingsworth did confirm that the air vents in the IS are “directly from the GR GT.”
A V8 Easter Egg
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For 2026, the IS loses its turbocharged four-cylinder and V8 engine options; the 3.5-liter V6 with 311 horsepower is the last powertrain option remaining. Lexus says the IS 350 accounted for approximately 85% of sales in 2025, so this was the the smart decision. Though the 5.0-liter V8 is gone, Lexus has kept its spirit partially alive in the IS.
For 2026, the Active Sound Control feature gets an update. Now accessed through the touchscreen instead of a physical knob, the ASC gets progressively louder depending on which drive mode the car is in, with the optional Sport+ mode (part of the F Sport Handling Package) being the the most aggressive.
“The Active Sound Control now sounds like its coming from the rear, much better than the front speaker like in the past. Sport+ has a burbling sound for those IS 500 orphans (we also offer an accessory exhaust) who want to have an enhanced sound with the vehicle,” Hollingsworth details. In addition to the burbles, the overall sound is more reminiscent of the 5.0-liter V8, which goes away after this year when the LC 500 ends production.
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